Refrigerator cabinet shelf arrangement



1951 c. F. PETKWITZ 3,006,710

REFRIGERATOR CABINET SHELF ARRANGEMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l mmvroa Carl F Pefkw/fz Fl BY His A flomey Oct. 31, 1901 c. F. PETKWITZ 3,006,710

REFRIGERATOR CABINET SHELF ARRANGEMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

N Carl F Pef/rwifz His Attorney United States Patent 3,006,710 REFRIGERATOR CABINET SHELF ARRANGEMENT Carl F. Petkwitz, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 49,741 11 Claims. (Cl. 312-311) This invention relates to cabinets and particularly to a shelf or article support arrangement in a storage chamber of a refrigerator cabinet.

It is the purpose of the present invention to correct or overcome certain problems that have presented themselves in the development and installation of refrigerator cabinets. Present-day household refrigerator cabinets include a door having a portion projecting into a food storage chamber and which is recessed or hollowed out to accommodate food or article supporting shelves so as to expose food or articles carried by the door to the low temperature within the chamber. When such doors are opened 90 with respect to the refrigerator cabinet upon which they are hingedly mounted or secured or when the cabinet is installed in a corner or nook of a room or kitchen so that the door can be opened only throughout an arc of 90, the shelved projecting portion of the refrigerator cabinet door is located in front of the food chamber access opening. This prevents gliding shelves within the main body part of the chamber from being moved outwardly thereof. It is known that some manufacturers of refrigerator cabinets have provided in the main food storage chamber of their cabinets rotatable or swinging shelves in order to overcome this embarrassment. The employment of rotatable or swinging shelves in refrigerator cabinets is a costly procedure due to waste of valuable food storage space therein by curved or rounded edges of the shelves and which storage space normally determines the retail price of a refrigerator cabinet of predetermined size. In addition, rotatable or swinging shelves in a refrigerator cabinet ordinarily require an upright supporting post or shaft within the food storage chamber thereof which is unsightly and frequently in the way of articles to be stored in the chamber. I contemplate the provision in a refrigerated chamber of a refrigerator cabinet of a shelf or food support that occupies the major part or substantially all of the cross-sectional area of the chamber and which is mounted therein for gliding movement in a straight-line direction to and fro the chamber without interference by a portion of the chamber door when same is swung open into a 90 position with respect to the refrigerator cabinet.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved shelf or article support arrangement within a cabinet.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel mounting of a four-cornered shelf or food support within a rectangular refrigerator chamber of a generally rectangular cabinet which shelf or support is of a particular shape to occupy the major part of the cross-sectional area of the chamber and to cooperate with its mounting to be glided by rolling or sliding same in a straight-line direction outwardly of the chamber access opening with clearance at the side of the opening upon which the chamber door is hingedly secured.

A further object of my invention is to mount within a refi'igerated chamber of a refrigerator cabinet a food shelf or support provided with diagonally opposite acute angled corners and diagonally opposite obtuse angled corners in such fashion that the shelf or support is movable in a straight-line direction outwardly of the chamber access opening and angularly relative thereto.

A still further and more specific object of my invention is to mount a parallelogram-shaped shelf or article support which has a front obtusely angled corner within a chamber of a cabinet for straight-line movement outwardly thereof whereby the obtuse corner of the shelf or support spaces a part of the end thereof at the hinged side of the chamber door from the upright chamber wall thereat which spaced end part of the support clears and is shiftable along a projecting portion of the chamber door when the door is swung to a open position with respect to the cabinet and during movement of the support to and fro the chamber.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a household refrigerator cabinet having a food or article support arranged in accordance with my invention located in a food storage chamber thereof and showing the chamber door open;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the lines 22 of FIGURE 1 with the chamber door closed and showing in plan my improved article support arrangement;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 on a reduced scale showing the refrigerator cabinet located in a corner of a room illustrating the cabinet door opened 90 and the article support moved part way out of the food storage chamber of the cabinet;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 44 of FIGURE 2 showing the article support mounted on its mounting means.

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating my invention, I show in FIGURE 1 thereof a generally rectilinearshaped cabinet 10 of the household refrigerator type. The refrigerator cabinet 10 includes an outer sheet metal shell 11 and an inner box-like metal liner 12 spaced from the shell and having any suitable or desirable insulating material 13 disposed therebetween (see FIGURE 2). Liner 12 forms rectangular walls of a polygonal-shaped food storage chamber 14 within cabinet 10 which is practical for maximum food storage space and wherein my invention is particularly applicable. Food storage chamber 14 is provided with an open front access opening which is normally closed by an insulated door structure generally represented by the reference character 15. The access opening of chamber 14 is bounded by nonmetallic breaker strips attached to the cabinet shell 11 and to the forward edge of chamber liner 12 as is conventional in the art. The insulated door structure 15 is hingedly secured to or mounted upon cabinet 10 by suitable hinges 16 for horizontal swinging movement relative thereto. Door 15 comprises an outer metal pan member 17 and an inner mold plastic panel member 18 with insulating material similar to the insulation 13 disposed therebetween (see FIGURE 2). Pan member 17 is provided with inturned flanges about the periphery thereof and these flanges are secured to peripheral edges of panel member 18 by suitable screws or the like which screws also look a resilient gasket 19 upon door 15. The gasket 19 extends continuously around door 15 and this portion of the door is adapted to engage a flat forward surface on the front of cabinet 10 with the gasket air sealing the access opening of chamber 14. Molded plastic panel member 18 constitutes another portion of the door structure and is inwardly dished or recessed as at 21 to accommodate vertically spaced apart long, relatively narrow shelves 22 for supporting food products or articles in exposed relationship to the cold air within chamber 14. The portion 18 of door 15 projects inwardly of the surface on cabinet 10 engaged by gasket 19 into chamber 14 and forms an obstruction at the front of the chamber access opening when the door is swung only into a 90 open position.

A refrigerator system is associated with cabinet and includes a refrigerant translating device (not shown) usually located in the lower part of the cabinet below chamber 14 and a refrigerant evaporator preferably of the pressure-welded sheet-metal type mounted in the food storage chamber. The refrigerant evaporator is located in the upper part of chamber 14 behind a door or closure member 25 separate from door 15 and cooperating with the evaporator to provide a freezing compartment within chamber 14. The cooling efiect produced by the evapo rator of the refrigerating system chills and causes circulation of air throughout the interior of chamber 14 as is conventional in the art to refrigerate and preserve food products or articles stored in the chamber. These food products may be located on the shelves 22 on door 15 and on reticulated article supports in the main body portion of chamber 14. At least one of the reticulated article supports in the main body portion of chamber 14 is arranged in accordance with my invention and is generally represented by the reference numeral 30. It is, of course, desirable to employ a four-cornered shelf or article support 30 and to mount same in chamber 14 for gliding movement outwardly thereof which shelf or support will occupy the major portion or substantially all of the cross-sectional area of rectangular chamber. The construction of article support 30 and its connection with rollable and slidable track means may, insofar as the present invention is concerned, be in accordance with that shown and fully described in my Patent No. 2,719,772, dated October 4, 1955, and assigned to the assignee of this application. However, the shape of the article support 30, its mounting within chamber 14 and the direction of movement thereof outwardly of the chamber is varied from that shown in my patent just identified in order to accomplish the objects and advantages of this invention.

In the present disclosure and with particular reference to FIGURE 2 of the drawings thereof it will be noted that I' employ a four-cornered romboidal article support 30 which is of a parallelogram shape provided with diagonally opposite acute angled corners and diagonally opposite obtuse angled corners. I mount the article support 30 within chamber 14 so that it has gliding movement in a straight-line direction outwardly thereof and angularly through the chamber access opening relative to the rectangular chamber walls. For this purpose I utilize opposed molded plastic blocks 31 having inclined or acute angled inner surfaces for the mounting thereto of fixed rollers 32 which support a track member 33 rollably interlocked with the rollers as in my patent hereinbefore referred to. The opposed blocks 31 are rigidly secured, by screws or bolts 34 (see FIGURE 4) to the opposite upright walls of liner 12 of chamber 14 so as to dispose each pair of rollers 32 and consequently the track members 33 and article support 34) at an acute angle within the rectangular chamber relative to its right angled walls. This mounts the four-cornered parallelogram-shaped article support 30 within chamber 14 for straight-line gliding movement outwardly thereof through its front access opening angularly relative thereto and to the right-angled walls of the rectangular chamber.

[In FIGURE 3 I show the refrigerator cabinet 10 located in a corner of a room or kitchen, indicated by the right-angled walls 37 and 38, with its back and right-hand upright Wall substantially abutting or positioned closely adjacent these room walls respectively. In this showing the front obtuse angled corner of article support 30 spaces the forward portion of the end of support 36' at the hinged side of door 15 a greater distance inwardly of the upright chamber wall 12' thereat than the rear portion of the support. Door 15, with the cabinet 10 located as shown adjacent the room walls 37 and 38, can be swung only into a 90 open position relative to the cabinet and the projecting portion 1 8 of door 15, normally extending into chamber 14, now lies or is located in front of a part of the chamber access opening and forms an obstruction thereat. Such obstructions would prevent a shelf or article support movably mounted in chamber 14 from being shifted outwardly thereof and the feature of rendering food products on the rear portion of the article support readily accessible at the front of the refrigerator cabinet without reaching to the rear of the chamber therein will be eliminated when the refrigerator is located as illustrated in FIGURE 3. However, this feature is retained in a novel and practical manner by virtue of my invention. For example, a forward pull applied to article support 30 will move or glide it out of chamber 14 in a straight-line direction and at an angle to the right-angled chamber Walls as distinguished from moving the shelf outwardly of the chamber in parallel relation to walls thereof. Movement of support 30 at an angle with respect to the chamber simultaneously with the outward movement thereof shifts that portion of the support moved out of the chamber access opening laterally relative thereto. The front portion of the end of article support 30 at the obtuse angled forward corner thereof adjacent the hinge side of door 15, in addition to normally being spaced from the upright wall of chamber 14 thereat, becomes further spaced therefrom during movement of the support outwardly of the chamber and angularly relative to its access opening. This end portion of support 30 consequently clears or is shifted to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 3, of projecting portion 18 on door 15 located in its 90 open position, against or aligned with room wall 38, when the shelf is moved part way out of cabinet 10 forwardly of chamber 14 to thereby prevent door portion 18 from obstructing or blocking the outward gliding movement of the article support. Thus the combination of a parallelogramshaped article support with its diagonally opposite acute angled corners and diagonally opposite obtuse angled corners together with the mounting thereof at an acute angle relative to walls of a rectangular food storage chamber in a refrigerator cabinet accomplishes a result which permits retention of the feature and advantages of an outwardly movable refrigerator cabinet shelf or support.

It should from the foregoing, be apparent that I have made an improvement in cabinets having outwardly movable article supports therein and have solved the problem encountered particularly in the installation and use of refrigerator cabinets. By a shelf or support being shaped as herein disclosed and mounting same in a food storage chamber of a refrigerator cabinet for movement outwardly thereof in the unique manner described, I provide a refn'gerator which can be located in corners of a room or adjacent other cabinets or cupboards wherein the cabinet door can be opened only at a 90 angle relative to the cabinet without depriving the user of the refrigerator of features incorporated therein. In accomplishing this with a four-cornered article support or shelf, the Waste space in a refrigerated chamber of a refrigerator cabinet is reduced to an infinitesimal amount which is not a serious or costly expedient and is more practical and less expensive than providing rotating or swinging food shelves or article supports in refrigerators.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed it as follows:

1. A cabinet comprising in combination, a plurality of Walls forming a chamber in said cabinet provided with a front acecss opening, a door hingedly secured to said cabinet at one side of the chamber opening, said door being engageable with a forward surface of said cabinet about said chamber opening and including a portion projecting therefrom inwardly into the chamber beyond said surface, an article support in said chamber occupying substantially all of the horizontal cross-sectional area thereof intermediate said projecting portion of said door and walls of the chamber, means mounting said support within said chamber for gliding movement in a straight-line direGfiD outwardly thereof through its access opening while mounted on said mounting means, said door being swingable into at least a 90 open position with respect to said cabinet whereby said projecting portion of the door is located in front of said chamber opening in the path of straight-line movement of said support therethrough, the front part of the end of said article support adjacent said one side of the chamber opening being spaced inwardly from the upright chamber wall thereat, and said spaced end part of said support clearing and being shiftable along said projecting portion of said door at said 90 open position thereof upon moving the support to and fro said chamber.

2. The combination defined by claim 1 wherein the mounting means for the article support is disposed at an acute angle with respect to walls of the chamber and causes the straight-line movement of said support through the chamber opening to be angular relative thereto.

3. A cabinet comprising in combination, a plurality of walls forming a chamber in said cabinet provided with a front access opening, a door hingedly secured to said cabinet at one side of the chamber opening, said door being engageable with a forward surface of said cabinet about said chamber opening and including a portion projecting therefrom inwardly into the chamber beyond said surface, an article support in said chamber occupying substantially all of the horizontal cross-sectional area thereof intermediate said projecting portion of said door and walls of the chamber, said support being provided with diagonally opposite arcuate angled corners and diagonally opposite obtuse angled corners, means mounting said support within said chamber for gliding movement in a straight-line direction outwardly thereof through its access opening while mounted on said mounting means, said door being swingable into at least a 90 open position with respect to said cabinet whereby said projecting portion of the door is located in front of said chamber opening in the path of straight-line movement of said support therethrough, one of the obtuse angled corners of said article support being located adjacent said one side of the chamber opening and spacing the front part of the end of the support thereat inwardly from the upright chamber wall at the hinged side of said door, and said spaced end part of said support clearing and being shiftable along said projecting portion of said door at said 90 open position thereof upon moving the support to and fro said chamber.

4. The combination defined by claim 3 wherein the mounting means for the article support is disposed at an acute angle with respect to walls of the chamber and causes the straight-line movement of said support through the chamber opening to be angular relative thereto.

5. A cabinet comprising in combination, a plurality of walls defining a chamber in said cabinet, said chamber being provided with an access opening in an upright wall thereof, a door hingedly secured to said cabinet at one side of the chamber opening, said door being engageable with a surface of said cabinet about said chamber access opening and including a part thereon projecting therefrom inwardly into the chamber beyond said surface, a four cornered article support in said chamber occupying a horizontal cross-sectional area thereof intermediate said projecting part of said door and walls of the chamber, means mounting said support within said chamber for movement in a straight-line direction part way out of the chamber through its access opening while mounted on said mounting means, said door being swingable into a 90 open position with respect to said cabinet whereby said projecting part of the door is located in front of a portion of said chamber opening in the path of movement of said article support therethrough, a front corner of the end of said article support adjacent said one side of the chamber opening being obtusely angled, and said obtuse front corner on said article support serving to cause said end thereof to clear and be shifted past said projecting part of said door at its said 90 open position in a lateral direction away from said one chamber side as the support is moved outwardly of the chamber.

6. The combination defined by claim 5 wherein the mounting means for the article support is disposed at an acute angle with respect to sides of the chamber whereby the straight-line movement of said support through the chamber opening is angular relative thereto.

7. A cabinet comprising in combination, a plurality of walls defining a rectangular chamber in said cabinet, said chamber being provided with an access opening in the front wall of said cabinet, a door hingedly secured to said cabinet at one side of the chamber opening, said door being engageable with said front wall of the cabinet and including a part thereon normally projecting therefrom inwardly into said chamber beyond the cabinet front wall, an article support in said chamber occupying the major portion of a horizontal cross-section area thereof intermediate said projecting part of said door and upright walls of the rectangular chamber, said support being provided with diagonally opposite obtuse angled corners and diagonally opposite acute angled corners, means mounting said article support within said chamber for movement in a straight-line direction part way out of the chamber through its opening in said cabinet front wall while mounted on said mounting means, said door being swingable into a open position with respect to said cabinet whereby said projecting part of the door is located in front of a portion of said chamber opening in the path of movement of said article support therethrough, the obtuse angled corner at the front of said article support being adjacent said one side of the chamber opening, and outward movement of said article support through the chamber opening being angularly relative to the rectangular chamber walls to cause the end of said support adjacent said obtusely angled front corner thereof to clear and be shifted past said projecting part of said door at its said 90 open position.

8. A cabinet comprising in combination, a plurality of walls defining a chamber in said cabinet, said chamber being provided with an access opening in an upright wall thereof, a door hingedly secured to said cabinet at one side of the chamber opening, said door being engageable with a surface of said cabinet about said chamber access opening and including a part thereon projecting therefrom inwardly into the chamber beyond said surface, a parallelogram shaped article support in said chamber occupying a horizontal cross-sectional area thereof intermediate said projecting part of said door and Walls of the chamber, means mounting said support within said chamber for movement in a straight-line direction part way out of the chamber through its access opening while mounted on said mounting means, said door being swingable into a 90 open position with respect to said cabinet whereby said projecting part of the door is located in front of a portion of said chamber opening in the path of movement of said article support therethrough, the front corner of the end of said parallelogram shaped article support adjacent said one side of the chamber opening being obtusely angled, and said obtuse front corner on said article support serving to cause said end thereof to clear and be shifted past said projecting part of said door at its said 90 open position as the support is moved outwardly of the chamber.

9. The combination defined by claim 8 wherein the mounting means for the parallelogram shaped article support is disposed at an acute angle with respect to sides of the chamber whereby the straight-line outward movement of said support through the chamber opening is angular relative thereto away from the one side of said chamber.

10. A cabinet comprising in combination, a plurality of Walls defining a rectilinear shaped chamber in said cabinet, said chamber being provided with an access opening in an upright wall thereof, a door hingedly secured to said cabinet at one side of the chamber opening, said door being engageable with a surface of said cabinet bounding said chamber access opening and including a portion thereon swingable therewith projecting therefrom into the chamber beyond said surface, a fourcornered article support in said chamber occupying a horizontal cross-sectional area thereof intermediate said projecting portion of said door and Walls of the chamber, means mounting said support within said chamber for movement in a straight-line direction part way out of the chamber through its access opening While mounted on said mounting means, said door being swingable'into a predetermined open position relative to said cabinet in which position of the door said projecting portion thereof extends inwardly of said one side of the chamber at the front of its access opening, a front corner of the end of said article support adjacent said one side of the chamber' being obtusely angled, and said obtuse front corner of said article support serving to cause at least the forward part of said end thereof to clear and be shifted past the projecting portion of said door while same is insaid predetermined open position as the support is moved out- 5 wardly of said chamber.

11. The combination defined by claim 10 wherein the mounting means for the article support is disposed at an acute angle with respect to sides of the rectilinear chamber whereby the straight-line movement of said support 10 through the chamber opening is angular relative thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,670,479 Gottlieb Mar. 2, 1954 15 2,840,438 Sharpe June 24, 1958 2,840,439 Sharpe June 24, 19-58 

